


Hot Chocolate Is Just Cocoa Beans Being Deceptive

by RagingBookDragon



Category: Assassin's Creed - All Media Types
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Established Relationship, Fireplaces, Fluff and Humor, Hot Chocolate, Humor, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-12
Updated: 2020-12-12
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:01:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,628
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28020585
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RagingBookDragon/pseuds/RagingBookDragon
Summary: “Bluff?”“Uh…it’s making someone believe you can do something even if you can’t.”“You lie then?” he surmised, and the look on his face made her wince.“It’s not exactly lying, per say. It’s more of deception.”“That is lying
Relationships: Ratonhnhaké:ton | Connor & Reader, Ratonhnhaké:ton | Connor/Reader
Comments: 3
Kudos: 18





	Hot Chocolate Is Just Cocoa Beans Being Deceptive

**Author's Note:**

> Day 11 of The Christmas Fics! Enjoy! -Thorne

He watched her with curious eyes as she tugged him up and down the market paths, pointing and scanning for things she needed. She knew how to barter with the street vendors to a level that he didn’t even know about.

She held up the roll of cotton wool, asking, “Sir, how much is the roll?”

The man looked from her to him, twirling the piece of hay between his teeth. “Five pounds.”

He paused, lips pulling in a satisfied way at the decent price, but she hummed, then turned to him.

“Ratonhnhaké:ton, how much does this weigh to you?” she questioned, holding the cotton roll out to him.

Connor took it and held it in one of his hands. It felt like holding a handful of feathers. “A pound and a half.” He passed it back to her. “Two at the most, (Y/N).”

She eyed the vendor. “If this was five pounds of cotton wool, I’d give you five pounds, but it’s not.” The man’s face pinched, and she nodded at him. “I’ll give you two pounds.”

“Four.” The man shot back, but she shook her head.

“Two. Anything more and I might as well go to Chester’s uptown and buy theirs.” Her eyes narrowed. “And I know there that it would be through legal means and not…untaxed, sold under Regular noses.”

When he didn’t respond at first, she started laying it down, and the man waved his hands. “Wait!” she stopped, and he sighed. “I’ll sell it to you for three pounds.”

“Two and a half.” She stared the man down with a striking gaze and he sighed.

“Fine. Two and a half.”

“Thank you!” (Y/N) smiled and placed the coins in his hand before stowing the roll in her basket, tugging Connor’s hand again.

As they were walking, she looked at him. “Is there anything you’re thinking about buying?” Her eyes drifted around the market. “There’s everything you could imagine here, clothes, food, jewelry.” She turned and caressed the fur lining the front of his winter coat.

“(Y/N)?” he asked, but she was focused.

“Maybe we should look for some winter mittens and a hat?” (Y/N) glanced down the street. “I actually think we should visit the uptown and go to a tailor for that.”

“(Y/N).”

“Chester’s a damn good tailor, I might add. Makes all my dresses and robes. Ooo, I need him to—”

Connor sighed and shook her arm. “ **(Y/N).** ” Her eyes went wide, and she shut her mouth, causing him to smile. “You do not have to look so worried. I just wanted to ask you something.”

She brightened. “Of course. Ask my anything.” Leaning her head on his arm, she murmured sweetly, “I’m _your_ open book to read.”

He could feel his cheeks warm and clearing his throat, he questioned, “How did you make that man offer a lower price?”

For a moment, (Y/N)’s brows furrowed. “How did I…do you mean how did I negotiate with him?”

“Is that what it is called? I thought it was bartering?”

She nodded. “Oh, well, it is in a way. Bartering is when you exchange goods and services for other goods and services without money as the payment. So, like, a bushel of hay for a bushel of corn and wheat. Or a carpenter fixing a door for a mason fixing his well.”

Connor nodded. “So, when I help Myriam hunt and she gives me herbs and spices in exchange for it?”

(Y/N) nodded. “ _Exactly_! That’s what it is!”

“So, what you did was negotiating. How do you do that so well?”

She shrugged. “It’s a skill you learn to lean on when you know you can get better prices than what they’re charging. Sometimes you can bluff for better prices.”

“Bluff?”

“Uh…it’s making someone believe you can do something even if you can’t.”

“You lie then?” he surmised, and the look on his face made her wince.

“It’s not exactly _lying_ , per say. It’s more of _deception_.”

“That _is_ lying, (Y/N).”

“It’s _subterfuge_ , Ratonhnhaké:ton.” She countered and started off towards one of the stalls. “C’mon. Let’s see if we can find any cinnamon and sugar. We’re running out at the manor.”

Connor followed her when a sweet smell wafted up his nose. He stopped at one of the stalls, except he didn’t tell her, and she kept walking along the pathway, talking to him.

“I think I saw the spices over here, but they could be on the—Ratonhnhaké:ton?” (Y/N) spun on her heel, surprised at the difference that had grown between them. “What in the world are you doing over there?”

She walked back over, watching as he stared at the contents across the table.

“See anything you like?” she asked.

His brows were furrowed, and he pointed to a bowl. “What are those?”

(Y/N) craned her neck and smiled. “Those are cocoa beans.”

Connor’s eyes met hers. “Cocoa beans?”

She nodded. “Yeah, you make chocolate with ‘em.”

“What’s chocolate?”

Her jaw went slack. “You don’t know what chocolate is?” He shook his head, and she placed a hand to her chest, breathing, “Be _still my heart, I can’t believe you’ve never eaten chocolate_.”

Glancing at the woman, (Y/N) said, “We’ll take half a pound of cocoa beans.” The woman smiled and took the money, handing her a glass jar.

As they were walking away, Connor leaned on her shoulder. “Do you eat the beans?”

She tipped her head side to side. “You can, but too many isn’t good for you, and they’re also really bitter.” She uncapped the jar and pulled out one of the beans, pulling the skin away from it before handing it to him. “Here, try.”

He took the bean but gave her a hesitant look. “It’s going to be bitter, Ratonhnhaké:ton,” (Y/N) remarked.

Connor took a breath and bit into it, his face immediately scrunching up as he chewed; she couldn’t help but laugh at him.

“I told you it was going to be bitter.” She took his hand, watching as he smacked his lips, trying to clear away the taste. “When we get back to the homestead, I’ll make chocolate and then it’ll be tastier.”

*******

She walked up the stairs slowly, careful to not spill the mugs she had in her hands. It’d taken about a week for the cocoa beans to completely dry, but once they had, she’d managed to mix up a decent batch of chocolate. Of course, Connor didn’t want anything to do with the cocoa after the incident in Boston, but she was sure he’d like this—he did have a sweet tooth, as (Y/N) had seen many times from catching him eating sugar cubes.

A smile graced her lips as she turned the corner to his room, seeing him sprawled out on his stomach on the bearskin in front of his fireplace, a book in his hands.

“What are you reading?” she murmured, walking over to him.

His eyes briefly left the page and he gave her that bright grin. “I decided to take up your offer and borrow your book.”

(Y/N) knelt beside him, propping one leg over his back, the other sliding just where his chest brushed the rug.

“Ah, the Tragedy of Antigone, daughter of Oedipus and Jocasta.” She handed him the mug. “The only one willing to stand up to tyranny and do what was right.”

He took the mug and with her free hand, she cupped his chin. “Just like you.” Her face pinched and she added, “Without the parents being related and all. You know what I mean.”

Connor chuckled and took her hand, pressing a kiss to it. “I appreciate your compliment, Otsi’tsa.” He pulled away and looked into the mug. “What is this? It smells good.”

(Y/N) took a sip from her mug, feeling the warmth spread through her chest. “Hot chocolate.”

The corner of his lip pulled in disgust and she snorted. “Just try it.”

“But it was bitt—”

She poked his cheek. “ _Ratonhnhaké:ton_ , _try it_. _I promise you’ll like it_.”

Giving her the same wary look from that afternoon in Boston, he sighed and brought the cup to his lips, taking the tiniest of sips.

She grinned when his face transformed with surprise, eyes widening at her.

“ _See_ ,” (Y/N) remarked. “I told you, you’d like it.”

Connor took another sip. “It is fantastic.”

She reached over and wiped his upper lip. “Amazing what a little milk and sugar does, huh?”

Setting her mug down, she shifted, pulling her legs away from him. (Y/N) moved around until her front was pressed against Connor’s back, resting her cheek on his shoulder.

“Are you comfortable laying atop me, Otsi’tsa?” he murmured, and she could hear the teasing lit in his voice.

“I am.” She said. “It’s freezing outside yet all nice and toasty in here, and we’re drinking hot cocoa by the fireplace and reading my favorite story.”

“Would you like me to start the story over and read to you?”

(Y/N) reached above her and touched his cheek, feeling him turn his head to press a kiss to her fingertips. “I would love that.”

As Connor began flipping the pages, she tapped his shoulder. “Ratonhnhaké:ton.”

“Yes?” he said.

“We should do this every Christmas.”

“What? Read Antigone?”

(Y/N) giggled. “ _Pfft_ , _no_. Drink hot cocoa by the fireplace.”

He went silent a moment, then he nodded. “We should.” Suddenly he paused. “(Y/N), hot chocolate bluffs cocoa beans.”

“I’m sorry, _what_?”

“Hot chocolate is cocoa beans being deceptive.”

“I mean, you’re not wrong, but _how_ did you even come to that conclusion?”

“ _Through subterfuge_.”


End file.
